Downtown Stoplights

[Weatherdemon]

I know it's been brought up before but they really need to evaluate the stoplights downtown.

Currently, their timing encourages people to blast through the red lights so they'll catch the next green and not sit for 2 minutes when there is no cross traffic. A Shenanigans Adventure Jeep about blew me up in a crosswalk in November blasting through the light at Main and Archer so they didn't have to wait 3 minutes for 1-2 E/W bound vehicles to traverse the intersection. As has a City of Tulsa truck and a TCSO vehicle.

Traffic is backed up on the Detroit/MLK exit off 244 every morning while maybe 1-2 N-bound vehicles traverse the intersection. The light now stays red for a solid 3 if not 4 minutes. It used to be 2.

With the new lane layout to get onto S bound MLK and traffic running the red lights, it's just a matter of time before a multi-vehicle crash occurs as the inside (S) exit lane folks drift into the outside turn lane who in turn have to drift into the W MLK lane hoping no one heading S blows the light. Having that inside turn lane set up more as a "U" to get back on the highway is asinine. People freakout because it's left turn only and try to move over in the 1/8 block before the forced turn.

The city really needs to set up sensors on the downtown lights to help make the area more navigable and safe. It would help pedestrians feel safer too, IMO.
They also need to reconsider that U-turn set up.

[patric]

I know it's been brought up before but they really need to evaluate the stoplights downtown.

Currently, their timing encourages people to blast through the red lights so they'll catch the next green and not sit for 2 minutes when there is no cross traffic. A Shenanigans Adventure Jeep about blew me up in a crosswalk in November blasting through the light at Main and Archer so they didn't have to wait 3 minutes for 1-2 E/W bound vehicles to traverse the intersection. As has a City of Tulsa truck and a TCSO vehicle.

Traffic is backed up on the Detroit/MLK exit off 244 every morning while maybe 1-2 N-bound vehicles traverse the intersection. The light now stays red for a solid 3 if not 4 minutes. It used to be 2.

With the new lane layout to get onto S bound MLK and traffic running the red lights, it's just a matter of time before a multi-vehicle crash occurs as the inside (S) exit lane folks drift into the outside turn lane who in turn have to drift into the W MLK lane hoping no one heading S blows the light. Having that inside turn lane set up more as a "U" to get back on the highway is asinine. People freakout because it's left turn only and try to move over in the 1/8 block before the forced turn.

The city really needs to set up sensors on the downtown lights to help make the area more navigable and safe. It would help pedestrians feel safer too, IMO.
They also need to reconsider that U-turn set up.

Tulsa's yellow light interval is shorter than national standards, but the city says they make up for it with brief overlapping red-all-four-ways signals.
Last time I reported a malfunctioning signal (Harvard and the BA) the city replied with "we dont have the parts" to fix it, case closed.
We just HAD to spend $10M on expressway lights we didnt need so we dont have money now for the things we do need.

[Weatherdemon]

So, I filed a complaint online about the long lights and the next day the timing was adjusted and traffic was no longer backing up to the highway. Lights are now about a minute and traffic slows well during the AM/PM rush hours.
Very impressed with their quick response!

[heironymouspasparagus]

So, I filed a complaint online about the long lights and the next day the timing was adjusted and traffic was no longer backing up to the highway. Lights are now about a minute and traffic slows well during the AM/PM rush hours.
Very impressed with their quick response!

Are you sure you haven't been transported to "Alternate Universe Tulsa" somehow...??

[Weatherdemon]

Are you sure you haven't been transported to "Alternate Universe Tulsa" somehow...??

IKR! Crazy!